The Way We Were
by Won'tSayI'mInLove
Summary: Two years ago, Chloe King and Alek Petrov were totally different people. He was shy. She was invisible. So how did they go from the way they were to the way they are? A Chalek fic, rated T just in case.
1. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER 1- YOUR NEW "BUDDY"**

**A/N: I RAGED ALL LAST NIGHT. WHAT WAS THAT EPISODE. SO MANY THINGS WRONG. FOR STARTERS THERE WAS HARDLY ANY CHALEK. BUT REALLY I WANTED TO HIT BRIAN AND YELL AT CHLOE THAT SHE'S DUMB AND ALEK IS BEING SILLY AND ALSO BRIAN IS REALLY DUMB.**

**On a more happy note, I've had this little plot bunny jumping on me whenever I try to sleep, so I figured I'd try it out. Please forgive any typing errors, as this entire thing was written on my phone... and at 3 AM haha. Read and review please! love you all =)**

_Beep. Beep! BEEP! BEE- CRASH!_

"Shit!"

Chloe King shot up in bed. She regarded her broken alarm clock with a frown, then gingerly slid out of bed. She gathered all the little pieces of her poor clock and set them on her dresser, making a mental note to get another one later that night.

She threw open her curtains, expecting warm sunshine. Unfortunately, she was greeted only by a grey-blue sky and a few straggling stars that fought to compete against the slowly rising sun. Chloe sighed. Right. It was five-thirty AM, on the first day of school. Her summer was over, and freshman year was starting. Chloe King was officially a high schooler. It was time to get ready.

* * *

><p>A full hour and a half later, Chloe bounded down the stairs. She wore white shorts and a navy flutter-sleeve blouse that had white stitching around the neck and sleeves, paired with gold gladiator sandals and a long strand of thin pearls knotted around her neck. Gold hearts dangled from her ears, and she toyed with her thin gold charm bracelet as she slid past her living room and into the kitchen.<p>

"Hi, Mom!" Chloe said brightly, bouncing over to her seat at the table.

Chloe's mom, Meredith King, smiled at her daughter. "Hey," she replied. "I made eggs!" she added proudly, gesturing at the plate in front of Chloe.

Chloe raised an eyebrow. "And bad-news bacon," she said slowly. "On the first day of school? Really mom?"

Meredith nodded and smoothed her daughter's hair. "Oh, but note that it's only _two _pieces of bad-news bacon!"

Suspiciously, Chloe picked up a single piece of bacon and crunched into it. She regarded her mom wearily as she chewed, waiting.

"You got picked to be a guide for a new student," Meredith blurted.

"What? But Mom!" Chloe blurted. She paused, collecting herself. "How can I be expected to guide someone around a school I've never been to myself? Shouldn't they ask like, upperclassmen?"

Meredith shrugged. "You can figure out the school together, I suppose?"

Chloe sighed, pushing her eggs around her plate with her fork. They were still liquid in the middle. Yuck. "Didn't announcements for this go out like, three weeks ago?"

Meredith shyly pulled a big envelope out of her bag. "Ah, two weeks ago, actually," she said apologetically. "I forgot to show you."

Chloe grimaced and accepted the envelope, opening it and pulling out a small stack of papers. The paper was thick, white, and heavy. Her high school's crest sparkled in gold ink at the top. She scanned a quick summary of her new "buddy", as the school called it. Chloe wished she had more time to memorize the information, but she barely had time to glance at it. She picked up her juice, deciding to read as she ate.

"Shoot," she said, frowning as a drop of orange juice spilled from the edge of the glass. A few more drops landed on her papers, and she cursed as she used her napkin to dab at them.

A car horn honked outside, and Chloe yelped. She crunched down the rest of her bacon, took a big gulp of her orange juice, and ran out the door, folder still in hand.

"Bye, Mom!" Chloe called, then slammed the door shut.

* * *

><p>Amy smiled up at her friend from the front passenger seat. "Hey, Chlo. Get in. We're already a little late, thanks to Paul here..."<p>

Both girls glanced at Paul, who sat in the back, sheepishly running a hand over his super-gel-smothered hair. "Hey, a guy's gotta be ready! High school, man." Paul exhaled sharply. "We're _high school kids_ now!" He gave both girls a wide, excited smile before he ran his hand over his hair again.

Chloe laughed and shook her head, smiling at Paul's enthusiasm as she slid in to the car, taking the seat next to him. Amy turned around, regarding Chloe's outfit with a smile.

"You look cute," Amy said brightly. She twisted her silver bracelet, which was the same as Chloe's gold one, around her wrist as she smiled at her best friend. "No sweats. Does this mean you're finally going to boy-hunt with me?" She clasped her hands, her heavily mascaraed eyes looking hopeful and excited.

Chloe laughed and shook her head, gathering her curls into a ponytail and securing them with a plain black elastic. "No," she said. Amy's face fell. "Just trying to look like a better wingwoman," she teased, smoothing out her cotton blouse and smiling at Amy.

Amy nodded. "Good, because I totally want a boyfriend this year," she said firmly, sitting back in her seat with a small smirk. "High school boys are so much more mature. I'm totally only dating older guys."

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that," Amy's dad chided with a laugh, speeding up just a little.

We all laughed. Amy stuck her tongue out at her dad. A few moments of silence passed, interrupted occasionally by Amy's squeals about a song on the radio or a cute boy walking outside the car.

"Ooh, that one's nice!" Amy gasped, tapping her window. Paul rolled his eyes, seemingly regretting agreeing to carpool with two girls, even if they were his best friends. "Chlo, look. He's totally gorgeous."

Chloe glanced up obligingly, noting the boy that Amy was talking about. Tall, blonde, brown eyes. About the same age, or maybe a little older than them. He walked with his head down, completely ignoring the brunette girl next to him who was watching him like she thought he might bolt.

Chloe rolled her eyes. "Amy, he's a total poser," she said.

Amy gasped as though personally offended. "And how do you know that? You just glanced at him! We haven't even talked to him yet!"

Chloe grimaced at the word "yet", but ignored it. She sighed, playing with one of the tiny white buttons that went down the front of her blouse. "Simple, Amy. You can't be blonde and really sulk that much. Particularly not on a warm day in the city. Peppy blondes are a stereotype for a reason."

Amy giggled but pouted for the next minute. Chloe used the moment of silence to read the letter about her new "buddy". It was a guy, although she'd spilled juice on his name and couldn't read that part. But he was 15, a freshman like her, and would supposedly be identified by a name tag. Chloe dug around in the envelope and pulled out her own name tag, reading it with a grimace.

_Hi, I'm Chloe King!_

_Your New Buddy_

Oh, geez. It was embarrassing to say the least. She stuck it regretfully to her leg, just below the hem of her shorts, knowing that she didn't want to get glue on her new outfit. Then she stuffed the papers back in the envelope, still frowning at the cheesy name tag.

She went to put her letter in her bag, then gasped. "Oh! I almost forgot!" Chloe tugged her backpack onto her lap and dug a plastic baggie full of brightly colored Sharpies out of the front pouch. "Here, sign my bag! I got it in white so I can have all of our new friends sign it. I figured my two best friends should sign it first, though."

Amy turned around and squealed her approval. "Gimme gimme!" she cried, reaching out for the bag. "I know what I wanna draw!"

Amy set to work, a happy smile on her face. When she was finally done, she handed it to Paul. As he sketched, Chloe looked out the window. Her thoughts drifted back to the blonde boy and his brunette friend. Who were they? They had both looked to be around Chloe's age, or maybe a little older. And poser or not, Chloe had to admit that Amy was right- the blonde boy had been cute. Really cute.

"Aaand we're here!" Amy's dad announced. He quickly hugged Amy. "Have a good first day, Ames. You'll kill 'em!" Then he turned around, smiling at Paul and Chloe. Paul grinned and said goodbye as he handed Chloe's backpack back to her. "Bye, kiddos. I know you'll be good. Keep an eye on Amy, won't you?" he joked.

"Yes, sir!" Chloe joked back, smiling as she absently stuffed her letter in her backpack and then sliding out of the car. "Thanks for the ride!" she added, then closed the door.

* * *

><p>"351... 352...353! Middle locker, yes!" Chloe cried, reaching for the door of her new locker with a smile. Immediately after opening it, she inspected the inside. It was darker, dustier, and smaller than teen rom-coms had led her to believe a high school locker would be, but whatever. It was hers. She immediately set to work taping up a bright blue piece of paper (cut last weekend to fit perfectly inside the door; Amy had made one in hot pink) and then placing a magnetic mirror in the middle. Using pretty magnets, Chloe put up pictures around the mirror. Her favorite was a strip of pictures from a carnival photo booth- she and Amy wore identical goofy smiles, and Paul stood in between them, wearing giant sunglasses and sticking out his tongue. Matching blue metal shelves went inside her locker, which was immediately filled with textbooks and notebooks. She took a step back and smiled at her work, then removed a single black Expo marker from her backpack and wrote "Happy First Day Of School!" across the top of her mirror. Perfect.<p>

As she zipped up her bag, she admired the bright, multiple-colored star that Amy had drawn around the words "A&C, BEST FRIENDS FOREVER!" on the front pocket. Paul had sketched some cheesy superhero across the top of her bag, complete with a supersized smile and a dramatic cape. Even as she smiled down at her bag, Chloe couldn't help but worry that high school would be the same as middle school, and no more signatures would be added to her bag. It would be the just three of them, just as it always had been. There would be no invites to parties, no silly antics at school events, no fun. The very idea of spending another year in obscurity made her feel panicky- there was nothing wrong with Amy and Paul, of course, but sometimes she wanted to do something stupid. And unfortunately, all three of them were too well-behaved to let the others do anything truly stupid. She gripped her locker door, staring at her own panicked eyes in the tiny mirror.

But then she tossed her hair and forced herself to smile. She took a deep breath. This year would be different, Chloe promised herself. This year would be the year she opened up, the year she let herself have fun. Glancing around to see if anyone had noticed her mini-freak out, she caught some guy checking her out. A vague alarm went off in her head, remembering him as the fakely sulky blonde that Amy had liked. Feeling a sudden rush of confidence, she raised an eyebrow at the guy and smiled before turning back to her locker. It would be okay. This year would be more than okay, actually. She was free to do whatever she wanted.

Well, except today. Today she had to go meet her new "buddy". Casting a glance at her cell phone to check the time, she realized she had to go. Her letter had told her that "buddies" were meeting at eight near the flag pole out front. So she slammed her locker shut and walked away, promising herself that she'd start doing what she wanted for once instead of what people asked her to do.

Right after she met her "buddy".

* * *

><p>Alek Petrov walked past a girl in the hall and almost froze. Something about her caught his attention. She stood at her locker, a book balanced on her slim hip while she used one hand to pin up photos in her locker. Her eyes sparkled and her skin had a subtle glow that he would've assumed was totally natural, if not for all his female cousins, who had taught him that it was just Urban Decay pearl powder. She was effortlessly pretty, as his cousin Jasmine would have been quick to point out. She had one color of shimmery eyeshadow on, not four, and her skin looked naturally pink and pretty. Alek could smell her sweet vanilla perfume from across the hall. It was sort of intoxicating.<p>

He gathered all of this from a single glance and was about to turn away. But right before he did, the girl glanced up and around. Her eyes fell on him, and she seemed to know he had checked her out. He blushed a little as she raised an eyebrow and tossed him a half-smile before burying herself in her locker.

Ah, great. Five minutes in and already he'd embarrassed himself. Well, whatever. She was one girl in a school of hundreds. He probably wouldn't ever see her again. Not a big deal. Alek shook his head and continued on his way, continuing his search for his locker and trying to forget the girl.

But of course, it didn't work out that way. Nope, after circling the school for a solid fifteen minutes, it turned out his locker was right across the hallway from hers. Go figure. In all honesty, though, if she hadn't caught him looking he wouldn't have minded it. She was cute, and he now had an excuse to be near her every day for the rest of the year.

But the fact was, he _had_ been caught. And even worse, he hadn't gone up and introduced himself, or even made a joke like he normally would. No, he had blushed and looked away. What was that? Instead of being more confident like he'd sworn he would the whole plane ride to America, he had let himself slip back into his old way of being shy and quiet. He had come off as a _stalker_. Great. And now he would spend every day looking at the girl who he had accidentally stalked, and she would probably never look at him with anything but annoyance.

First five minutes in, and America already sucked just as bad as London had.

* * *

><p>Chloe sat on a low brick wall, quietly waiting. A bunch of other "Guide Buddies" had already shown up, along with the overly peppy class president, who handed out maps to be given to the "New Buddies" and tried unsuccessfully to start a round of the school cheer. It was way too much pep for Chloe at eight AM on a Monday morning.<p>

She sighed and looked at her phone again. Make that eight twenty-two AM on a Monday morning. Chloe was the only person sitting by herself now. Everyone else had already found their "buddy" and was either chatting over their copy of the map, comparing schedules, or already gone off in search of first period class rooms.

So where the heck was her "buddy"?

* * *

><p>Alek was still leaning against his locker. He regarded his "new student" papers, frowning. The school had some sort of "Buddies" program that sounded like an extremely cheesy way to make sure he didn't break down from the pressure of high school or something. As if. Still, according to his papers, his tour guide was a girl. It was an opportunity to practice flirting, at the very least. So Alek threw his backpack over one shoulder and headed to the front of the school, where it said he was to meet his "buddy".<p>

When Alek got outside, he had to squint in the sunlight in order to distinguish faces. There was a large group of kids who were obviously in the same new-kids program as he was, and in the center of them, a single girl sat alone. Clearly this was his guide. He took a few steps closer then froze.

Crap. Crap. Double crap. His tour guide was the girl he had accidentally stalked earlier. Of everyone in the school... The embarrassment flooded back to him and he felt his face burning. There was no way he was going to go over there and have the most awkward tour of his life, no way. So instead he bolted.

He would find his first period class on his own, thank you very much.

**A/N: Well, there ya go! Chapter one of "The Way We Were". I know Alek is a little bit dramatic, but I just keep remembering how skittish boys were freshman year, and then on top of that he's new to the school... I'm editing chapter two right now and it'll be up tomorrow, I promise. Let me know what you thought! =)**


	2. Chapter 2

**CH2- LUCKY**

**A/N: Sooo! I was watching the most recent episode again, and I fell in love with certain parts. The one Chalek moment we got at the end. Alek kicking butt everywhere. And of course, Alek's face when Paul was like "Don't sweat it bro, Chloe broke my heart too. After we kissed." "Do you people tell each other everything?" I squee-d hahaha. Also, I couldn't help it- I added a little bruise joke in my story. Just the way Alek looked at Chloe when he said some girls found bruises attractive... it seemed like there was a story there, and this is my version of it =) Hopefully y'all like it!**

**Review please! Love you all3**

At eight thirty-five, the late bell rang. Chloe sighed and stood up. Whatever, her mystery "buddy" would have to navigate high school on his own. She grabbed her bag and marched back into the school.

She opened the door to her first period class, taking a quick look around. Maps were pinned around the room, along with posters for various novels and a large fake tree that resided in a corner of the room. Kids sat on top of desks or in them, chatting loudly. Her teacher sat at her desk, smiling patiently. "Hello, dear," she said. "I'm Mrs. Hermens, your new English teacher. And you are...?"

"Chloe. Chloe King," she said, walking up to the teacher's desk. "I'm sorry I'm late, I was waiting for my buddy- I mean, the new student I was supposed to be guiding today, but he didn't show up and I guess I waited a little too long..."

"That's quite alright, dear," Mrs. Hermens said. She smiled and tucked a short auburn wave behind her ear. "Why don't you take a seat in the back? We still have quite a few stragglers, so don't worry, you're not the latest."

Chloe smiled her thanks and went to take her seat, stepping over backpacks and avoiding swinging feet as she went. A quick glance around confirmed what she already knew- there was nobody in this class who she recognized. There wasn't even a fellow loner for her to pity-bond with. She sighed and was resigning herself to another lonely class when the door burst open.

"Hello, sorry I'm late, I got lost," a voice apologized. Chloe looked up, startled to see the blonde boy standing there, his grey backpack partially undone and an apologetic smile on his face. She smiled tentatively at him. He pretended not to notice, but was directed to the seat next to her. He made his way back slowly.

"Hi," Chloe said brightly, turning to face him. She made up her mind to act a little Amy-ish today, knowing that her friend was far more outgoing that she was. It was something to try, right?

The boy glanced up, his face red. "Hello," he managed. He quickly scanned her, then offered a small smirk. "That's one way to make friends," he said, gesturing at her leg.

Chloe grimaced and ripped off the name tag, wincing slightly. "Oh, that. It's part of some program I was supposed to do," she explained. "I don't usually proclaim myself to be anyone's _new buddy_." Chloe laughed.

The guy laughed too. "Yeah, well, nice to meet you Chloe King. I'm Alek. Alek Petrov."

She smiled. "Nice to meet you too. So, why were you late?" Chloe tilted her head, letting her ponytail fall over one shoulder and reaching up her hand to play with it.

Alek grinned. "Got held up by some assassins," he joked. "They gave me this" -he gestured at a bruise forming on his shoulder- "but I managed to get away and get here in time for class." Then he stretched out and folded his arms behind his head, grinning at her. "Yep, turns out I'm kind of a badass."

Chloe cracked up. "Oh my god, you're ridiculous," she laughed. "No, seriously, what happened?"

Alek chuckled and folded his arms. "Well, truthfully, I got cocky and ditched the new kids program, and got utterly lost. As for the bruise... I might've tripped down the stairs."

"You ditched the program?" Chloe squealed, whacking his arm. "We were paired up!" she realized, tugging her papers out of her bag. He laughed and did the same. She grabbed his letter and scanned it. Sure enough, his letter had her name printed in bold black letters. She was sure hers would've had his name, were it not for the errant drop of orange juice.

Alek widened his eyes, looking caught off-guard. "Oh, really?" He swore. "If I had known, I might've actually showed up," he added, smiling flirtatiously.

Chloe giggled, smiling back. "You're funny," she said. "I have a feeling we're going to be very good friends."

* * *

><p>When Alek burst into his new first period class, the first thing he noticed was the pretty blonde in the back of the room. Dammit, of course. Of course the girl he was trying to avoid seeing again was in this class. She tossed him a small smile of recognition, which made him blush and turn his full attention to the teacher, who was now directing him towards a seat in the back which was (where else?) right next to the girl from earlier.<p>

As he sat down, the girl smiled and turned toward him. He debated shutting her down, just to avoid further embarrassment for himself, but remembered his vow to be more confident and allowed himself to say hi back. She introduced herself as Chloe King, which confirmed that she was supposed to be his guide, because it matched the letter he had received. She even made a reference to the buddy program, and he contemplated telling her how he'd been so embarrassed that she caught him checking her out that he'd ditched her. But at the last minute he lied, saying he'd gotten cocky and thought he could make it on his own. Chloe seemed to believe him.

English passed quickly for Alek. He spent the whole class playing the get-to-know-you games that the teacher had explained. Chloe, it turned out, was one of those rare people who were funny _and_ interesting. Alek felt like he was getting away with something here. Girls this glamourous weren't supposed to be down-to-earth, were they?

But Chloe totally was. Soon they were teasing each other, making jokes and laughing. By the end of the first game, they knew each other's favorite colors (hers was blue, his was orange) and that she had grown up in the city. By the second he knew her middle name and where she had gone to middle school. By the sixth, he found out that she was adopted. And by the tenth game, he had an open-ended invitation to study at her house.

* * *

><p>When the bell finally rang, they both gathered their things and stood up.<p>

"Well," Alek said, giving her what he hoped was a dazzling smile. "It was very nice to meet you, Chloe King."

Chloe nodded and gave a small smile back. "You too, Alek," she said, then turned to go.

Alek watched her walk away for a second, wishing the class had been longer. He looked down at his toes, trying to think of some reason to call her back and talk to her more, when he remembered the program.

"Hey, wait up!" he called, shoving his backpack over one shoulder and running a little to catch up with her. "Chloe!"

Chloe turned slowly, looking confused.

He caught up, and they started walking down the hall together. "Hey, you're supposed to be my tour guide, aren't you?" he asked with a small smirk. "So, I gotta admit, I'm totally lost here. Where's room D143?"

Chloe raised an eyebrow. "Is that your next class?" she asked. "French 2?"

He nodded. "Yup."

She smiled up at him, and he temporarily forgot how to breathe. "Cool, mine too," she said.

He inhaled sharply, trying to fight the obnoxious feeling of butterflies in his stomach. Two classes together in one day, with a gorgeous girl like Chloe? How lucky could a guy be?

* * *

><p><em>I am the luckiest girl in the world.<em>

Chloe was practically floating down the hallway. She and Alek had compared schedules and found that they had the same exact schedule except for math, which they had at the same time but in rooms next to each other. Chloe couldn't believe her luck. Just this morning, she had been worried that she wouldn't make any new friends, and now here she was, walking to second period with a gorgeous boy. People were looking at them, too. Girls Chloe had never even talked to would scan Alek with approval and then give Chloe small, jealous smiles. When she passed Amy in the hall, even she had looked surprised. Amy had been walking the opposite way, chatting with Paul. Her best friend's jaw had dropped, and she had given Chloe an enthusiastic thumbs up and mouthed _Nice work_.

And Chloe couldn't help but agree.

Alek slid into his seat in French, watching as Chloe took the desk in front of him. Then she turned towards him. "So," she said. "What's with the accent?"

He glanced down and blinked a few times. "Um, I moved to London when I was three," he said. No way was he giving this random girl his whole sob story. Besides, there were parts she wouldn't believe.

Chloe nodded and gave him a small smile. "London always seemed like a cool place to me," she said. "Why'd you come here?"

Alek fought not to grimace. _Because my parents thought I was a freak?_ He let out a soft sigh and decided to tell her just a little of the truth. "Well, I was pretty shy back in London," he admitted. She raised an eyebrow and he laughed. "Yeah, I know. Anyway, I wanted a change. Wanted to try being a little more open to... I don't know, life, I guess." He peeked up at her, wondering if this was the part where she rolled her eyes and called him lame. But no, she was smiling at him.

"I think that's brave," she said, reaching out and squeezing his hand.

He glanced down and noticed a ring on her hand. His heart practically flew into his throat. No way. "Where'd you get your ring?" Alek asked, trying to sound casual.

She glanced down at it. "Oh," she said softly. She withdrew her hand and stared sadly at the little piece of jewelry, running a finger over the small cat's head that was engraved on the band. A tiny green jewel flickered from the cat's eye. "When my dad found me, I had it on. My mom said she's pretty sure my birth parents gave it to me."

"Oh," he managed to say. He felt like his head was pounding. Because on one hand, this sucked. Chloe seemed really nice, and not at all someone he would pick to suffer being Mai. But on the other, if she really was Mai... Well. It certainly opened up some new opportunities for him.

But then he sighed, remembering from the "Buddy Program" file that she was only fourteen. Which meant that there were two long years to go before she transformed. He had changed early, but that didn't mean she would. She might even change late. Jasmine had changed months after her sixteenth birthday. His aunt, Valentina, said that she hadn't changed until she was seventeen.

All Alek could do was wait patiently and selfishly hope that Chloe would change at fifteen. Because he didn't know how long he could wait for her.

**A/N: Did anyone catch why it's cute that Chloe and Alek have French together in room 143? =P Also, does anyone have any ideas on where to go next? Because I've got some other chapters written, but they shouldn't happen until wayy later in the story, so I dunno... Help, please! haha =)**


	3. Chapter 3

**CH3- WATCH**

**A/N: Hello! Welcome to ch3! =) Sorry bout that little mix up, today's been a bit of a crazy day haha. Thanks for all the kind reviews; you guys truly are the sweetest! Love you all ^-^ **

The elevator was taking forever.

Alek sighed, tapping his black converse against the shiny white marble floor of his apartment building's lobby. For a supposedly high-speed elevator, the stupid thing was taking forever. When it finally got there, he was inside and pressing the number for his floor before the doors even fully opened.

He had news for Valentina.

* * *

><p>When the elevator finally opened on the eighteenth floor, Alek shot out and had the door to his apartment opened within sixteen seconds. He burst in the apartment's entrance hall, looking left and right in a frantic attempt at locating Jasmine or Valentina.<p>

"Hello, Alek," Valentina said. She was sitting on the couch with her legs tucked under her, wearing a long grey top over black pants. There was a glass of red wine in one hand, which she didn't really seem to be drinking. She absentmindedly played with a small pendant- Alek recognized it as the very same figure that Chloe had engraved on her ring.

"I think I found another Mai girl," Alek blurted, dropping on the couch and mirroring Valentina's position.

Valentina raised an eyebrow at his shoes, and he promptly kicked them off. Only then did she speak. "Really," she said, her voice calm and slow. She placed her wine glass on the tile coffee table and folded her arms gently on her lap. "And how do you know she's Mai?"

"She has a ring," he explained. "It's the same symbol as your necklace."

Valentina nodded absently, thinking. "Did she tell you where she got it?"

"From her birth parents in Ukraine," he said. "She told me."

"And what is her name?"

"Chloe. Chloe King," he added.

Valentina raised an eyebrow again. "King is not one of the known names of Mai descent," she said slowly.

"I know," Alek said. "But she told me she was adopted. So King wouldn't be her real last name, would it?"

"No, I suppose it wouldn't be," Valentina agreed. She stood slowly. "Very well, Alek. Would you like to watch her tonight, to find out more about this Chloe girl?"

Alek's face burned. "Um-"

"For Mai purposes, of course," Valentina added slowly. A small half-smile tugged at the corner of her lips.

Alek nodded briskly and stood. "Of course," he said. He started to walk down the hall, towards his room. "I'll leave in ten minutes."

Valentina nodded once. "Good," she said. "And, Alek?" He turned around, eyes questioning. Valentina smiled at him.

"Try not to be seen, won't you?"

* * *

><p>Five minutes later, Alek landed on Chloe's roof. He glanced around quietly, feeling incredibly awkward and stalker-ish. What was he supposed to do if Chloe saw him? There was no way he could explain this.<p>

_Oh, hey, Chloe. Well, I'm on your roof because I think you might not be human. But don't freak out! I'm not either._

He shook his head and crouched down, slinking over to sit beneath a window. He glanced inside and promptly decided this was not Chloe's room. The room was painted a soothing shade of grey-blue, with a large bed. But everything in the room screamed "Parent", from the dark wood floors to the thick novels that rested atop the night table. This, he realized, must be Chloe's Mom's room. A small box peeked out from under the bed, but before he could investigate it, he heard footsteps outside the bedroom's door and had to drop down and move away.

He darted around the roof, following the sound of the footsteps. They seemed to pass Chloe's mum's room. He heard a door open into another room, and quickly found his way to the room which the footsteps were going to. This one had to be Chloe's. Music poured out her window- he couldn't name it, but the song was upbeat and fast. Alek found that he liked it. But after allowing himself to listen for a minute, he reminded himself what he was there to do.

He reached up and grabbed the edge of her open window, pulling himself up so he could see inside. Alek peered around, taking in her room. It was full of bright colors and girly patterns, with lanterns hanging in the corners that cast a warm glow over the room. Chloe had just sat down on her bed. She was wearing a navy hoodie and light grey pajama shorts, her curls tied up in a messy bun. She tapped at her laptop with an absent expression, her mouth smiling but her eyes unfocused.

"Chloe? Chloe, honey, come here for a minute," a voice called from down the stairs. "I think I broke the Internet!"

Chloe sighed and hit a button on her laptop before she called back, "Coming, mom." She pushed herself off the bed and left the room.

Alek darted into her room immediately after she was gone. Almost instantly, he was distracted by the sheer volume of pictures in her room. Framed photos dominated her walls and shelves, Polaroids and photo booth strips littered every available surface, and her laptop itself was plastered with photo stickers from the photo booths in Japantown. They mostly featured Chloe and her friends, two people who Alek vaguely recognized from school. There were a few pictures of Chloe and who Alek could only assume her mom, as well as various people who were presumably family members. There was even a small picture of Chloe as a chubby little kid, maybe three or four, standing in a park with a smile on her face and a Barbie held high above her head like a trophy. It was adorable. Alek found himself staring at Chloe in every picture- there was something about her that commanded his attention, no matter who else was in the shot.

He quickly shook his head, breaking the temporary daze. Alek walked over to her laptop, his eyes flicking over the screen to see if it could offer anything that would prove that Chloe was Mai. To his disappointment, it was just a conversation with her friend Amy. They weren't even talking about anything interesting- just debating the importance of the "Second Day of School outfit".

Chloe's computer let out a little ping, and Alek jumped back, startled. Then he leaned forward. Amy had sent another message.

IFYOUSEEKAMY: besides, dont u wanna look hot for New Boy? cuz if ur not going for him i soo am

Alek's face burned. Well, at least he now knew his confidence makeover was fooling _someone_.

Alek was about to go back to the photos- maybe there were some with known Mai? Or even another symbol of Bastet somewhere. But as he started towards her desk, he heard footsteps coming back up the stairs. He swore and dove out the window.

* * *

><p>"The Internet's fine, Mom, it's just that your laptop battery died," Chloe said, laughing. She located her mom's computer charger and plugged it in. "There. Give it a half hour and you'll be fine."<p>

Chloe turned to go back up stairs, shaking her head and laughing a little. She walked back into her room and froze. Something felt... off. Were the photos on her desk arranged like that earlier? Some of them were flipped over, as if someone had been looking at them...

But then a gentle breeze blew in through her open window, and Chloe relaxed. Right, just the wind. Nothing to worry about. She walked over to her window and stuck her head out, breathing in the cool night air. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a flicker of movement. She narrowed her eyes and looked around. "Hello?" she called. "Is someone out there?"

* * *

><p>Alek held still, half wondering if she really thought anyone would reveal themselves if she just stood there and yelled "Hello". He certainly wasn't going to.<p>

He watched as Chloe shrugged her shoulders and went back into her room. She closed her window a little more; it was still open, but the safety latch kept it from opening more than an inch. Alek chuckled nervously- had she really almost seen him? How embarrassing.

Shaking his head, he lightly ducked around the house, back to the window that led to Chloe's Mom's room. Alek slid in through the window and crouched down, crawling across the floor until he was under the large bed. It was raised enough that he fit comfortably. He tugged the box he had seen earlier closer to him, then opened it. The box was filled with pictures, mostly. Pictures and a pair of baby shoes. It was a memory box, he realized. Now feeling especially creepy and invasive (because really, he shouldn't be seeing baby photos of someone he'd only met that morning), Alek moved to put everything back. But just before he started, he noticed a small newspaper article. He gently lifted it, scanning the headline.

**Child Lone Survivor of Tragedy in Ukraine**

Alek flinched, recognizing the date. This was one of the larger-scale Mai slaughters, he realized. He read the whole thing, if only to confirm what he already knew. _Precious artifacts destroyed. Slash marks everywhere. Entire families deceased. _This was one of the Order's more violent attacks, and entire communities around the world had disbanded to avoid another one like it. He shivered and reassembled the box, then slid out of the room.

He had the proof he needed.

**A/N: Sorry this is a bit shorter than usual; I've been starting all my summer homework and contacting colleges… so scary. Random thought- I'm the same age as Chloe; shouldn't she be stressing about college on the show? Whatever. I guess the main focus is the storyline with Alek, and I'm not exactly complaining… =P**


	4. Chapter 4

**CH 4- BUTTERFLIES**

**A/N: Soo.. that new episode? The roses were sooo pretty~! Alek is just adorable the entire episode. I love his expressions... I squealed. Like a lot. =P Although at first I thought the person taking pictures of Chloe and Brian was Alek... xD (Side note- also loving how I guessed Chloe's favorite color correctly haha) **

**Also sorries I haven't updated in a while, I got suddenly attacked by silly boy drama and SATs and college stuff... it's like life decided to pack all the high school drama in that it possibly can before I'm officially not a high school girl anymore. Senior year is gonna be quite the shenanigan =P**

**Anyway, love you all! Thanks for leaving the best reviews ever, you guys are amazing =)**

Alek stood outside his apartment, feeling like his feet were superglued to the ground.

He had been standing there for about an hour now. Before that, he had raced across town, feeling especially energized because of what he now knew. He had been too impatient to wait for the elevator- barely sparing a glance around to make sure nobody was watching, Alek had bolted up all eighteen flights of stairs. There was so much adrenaline and happiness in his veins, he hadn't even been tired when he reached the top of the stairs. But for some reason, when he reached the door, he just froze.

Something about this whole situation was impossibly dumb to him. After all, Alek wanted nothing more than for Chloe to be Mai. It was a selfish hope, but he couldn't help it. Just the idea of having someone to talk with, someone who didn't censor themselves like Jasmine did or provide only bits of information like Valentina did... It would be amazing. There were no other Mai in San Francisco besides his cousin and aunt, and Alek couldn't pour his guts out to some human. Thus, ever since coming to San Francisco, Alek had been feeling a bit isolated. Even his old friends from London didn't quite cut it anymore- there was only so much you could communicate over texting or the occasional Skype chat. So he couldn't help wishing that Chloe would be Mai. Especially because he was becoming quite fond of her and didn't like the thought of lying to her about who he was. If he couldn't tell her, there was no way their friendship would last. He'd feel too guilty. So the idea that she might be Mai, and he wouldn't have to make up excuses and lie to her… The very concept was simply incredible. It was, without a doubt, what he wanted.

Yet somehow, Alek just couldn't make his feet move. He couldn't make himself run in there and tell Valentina what he had found out. There was a certain reluctance that he felt, and it was a strong enough feeling that he couldn't make himself move. It was inexplicable. All he wanted was for Chloe to be Mai, but now that he had the proof he needed right in front of him, he was unable to make himself share it. Why?

Alek sighed to himself and closed his eyes. Because as much as he wanted to ignore it and pretend he didn't know why, he honestly did. If he ran in there and told Valentina, the problem would be solved. Case closed, mystery over. He would, in other words, have no excuse to spend his nights outside Chloe's house. No reason he could tell Jasmine or Valentina as to why he would be hanging out with her as often as he hoped he would. And that was not what he wanted. Not at all.

So Alek rolled his shoulders forward, trying for his best "unsuccessful and defeated" pose. Then he walked in the apartment, heaved a giant sigh (extra loudly, so Valentina would be sure to hear it), and walked into his room. He did all of this without saying a word. Alek closed the door and turned towards his bed, about to drop down and fall asleep.

But, much to his surprise, Jasmine was there. She sat upright in the middle of his bed, her legs crossed and her hands folded on her lap. Jasmine wore a Cheshire cat-esque smile, like she knew something he didn't want her to. Alek gulped. Jasmine's smile grew.

"Hello, Alek," Jasmine said. "Have fun at Chloe's tonight?"

"I wasn't- I just had to- I mean, really, it was just for..." he sputtered. Crap. He was so bad at this.

"Relax," Jasmine said, laughing. She swiped a loose curl out of her eyes, smiling at her cousin. "You're the worst liar in the world, you know that?"

He shrugged. It was true, after all.

"So, why didn't you take me with you tonight?" she asked. "I could've like, watched your back or something. Made sure she didn't see you."

Alek lifted a shoulder in a half-hearted shrug. "I wasn't even sure she's Mai," he said. "I didn't want to drag you along and then have it turn out that she isn't. That'd be a waste of your time."

Jasmine rolled her eyes. "Right," she said, sounding like she didn't believe him at all. "Well, are you sure now?"

Alek flinched. "No," he said.

"Ouch," Jasmine said sympathetically. She gave him a little side-hug and said, "Well, she still might be, you know. It could happen to anyone."

"Yeah," he agreed, thinking of her ring. "It could."

"You know, I'm very aware of how you feel about her. Me and half the girls at our school," Jasmine said simply. She watched him carefully, anticipating his reaction. "You like her."

Alek's head snapped up, startled. "What? No, I don't!" He paused, collecting himself. Alek perched on the edge of the bed and dropped his head into his hands, suddenly exhausted. "Jasmine, I just met her this morning."

Jasmine rolled her eyes, lightly punching him in the shoulder. "So?" she said. "And you're using the word 'met' rather loosely, aren't you? I think you mean you 'stared at her shamelessly' this morning."

Alek lifted his head and gave her a small half-smile. "Actually, she started talking to me," he admitted. "We're friends."

Jasmine arched an eyebrow. "Who, you? Talk to a girl who's not under the age of six or over the age of sixty? My, my, someone's growing up fast," she teased, ruffling his hair.

He snorted and ducked away. "Yeah, well," he said lamely, his face flushing bright red. "Anyway, baby steps for now, right? It'll be fine. I'm not falling for her just yet, though."

Jasmine smiled triumphantly. "You said _yet_. That means you plan on falling for her!" Jasmine's eyes tone was playful, but her eyes scanned him seriously.

Alek shrugged, somehow managing to turn even more red. "Um, maybe," he managed to mumble. He sighed. "Alright, that's enough for you," he decided. He stood up, gently pushing his cousin out of his room. "Jasmine, I love you and all, but I am not spilling my guts to you at two in the morning. Try again later."

* * *

><p>Jasmine had been waiting for her cousin for quite a while. Valentina had told her where he'd gone and around when he'd be back. Of course, that time had come and gone. Two hours past when Alek should've been home, there was still no sign of him. Jasmine had actually started to be a little nervous for him. But then she heard the apartment door slam, and heard footsteps headed down the hall that were loud and dramatic- definitely Alek.<p>

He had burst into his room, probably exhausted, and looked surprised to see her. Alek didn't seem like he wanted to talk, but too bad. Jasmine had a story to tell. She needed to vent. The boy on the third floor had moved back in. Had smiled at her, and _remembered_ her. For just a moment, Jasmine had let herself smile back and pretend that she was human. She'd felt _hopeful_. But hope was dangerous. Now Jasmine needed someone to bring her back to reality, because she knew she couldn't be friends with him, much less anything else. And Alek was always good for a reality check.

But then she made some sort of Choe-related joke. And Jasmine had seen his expression- Alek instinctively lit up when he heard her name, then quickly tried to hide his goofy smile. She wanted to talk about the boy on the third floor, she really did- but Alek had looked so happy in that split second, she just couldn't bring herself to pour all her neediness on him. Alek was clearly on some sort of happiness high, something she hadn't seen in him since he'd left London. And Alek deserved to be happy for once.

So she let the conversation drift away from herself. Jasmine pasted a smile on her face, and told herself that a distraction would be just as good as a pep talk. It worked unexpectedly well- part way through their conversation, Jasmine decided that Chloe and Alek would be her new pet project. Jasmine recognized Chloe from school and knew she was nice; Chloe was a good fit for Alek. And if setting them up just happened to help her forget about the boy on the third floor… Well, she wouldn't mind that, either.

"Alright, that's enough for you," Alek said. He stood up and pushed his cousin out of the room with a small half-smile. She rolled her eyes and put up a bit of a fight, but eventually let him kick her out. "Jasmine, I love you and all, but I am not spilling my guts to you at two in the morning. Try again later."

"I'm holding you to that," she joked.

He laughed and shook his head. "I don't doubt it, Nosey."

Jasmine laughed and let him close the door behind her. "Goodnight, Alek," she called softly. Then, soft enough so that he couldn't hear her, she added, "Hope your love life goes better than mine."

* * *

><p>Alek exhaled sharply, then changed into pajamas and lay down on his bed, trying to shut off his racing mind. But everything suddenly reminded him of Chloe. When he looked out the window, he wondered if she saw the same stars as him. When he set his iPod to play some music, the first words that played were "Can you still feel the butterflies?". When he pulled his blankets over his head in frustration, he realized that the navy color was the same as her shirt.<p>

_Ugh_. Alek groaned and hugged a pillow tight, finally giving in. He let his mind linger on Chloe. He could practically see her blonde curls and bright eyes, could almost smell her vanilla perfume. He allowed himself to wonder if maybe she could be someone he would like. And maybe, just maybe, she'd like him too?

Alek closed his eyes, drifting off at last into the first truly peaceful sleep he'd experienced since coming to the United States.

**A/N: This chapter seems a little like filler to me, I'm sorry… I'm working on it, I promise. I know how this ends and I'm just working on getting there now =P**

**Oh, and the song Alek is listening to at the end is "For Me This Is Heaven" by Jimmy Eat World, and besides being a lovely song, I think it fits them quite perfectly... I'm gonna write fanfic to it soon, so be on the lookout for that! =)  
><strong>

**Love you all, reviews are greatly appreciated!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hi my darlings! I'm so sorry I haven't updated since forever, I got eaten by college apps and nanowrimo and shows (i'm officially ticketing manager for all productions at my school, which is really YAY but also requires quite a bit of after school work) and silly high school drama... but I promise I'm back and better than before! As in, I have two new chapters for you guys tonight =) I hope you like them! reviews are very appreciated =)**

CH 5- YOUR OFFER

"So I think I'll be taking you up on your offer," Alek said, dropping down in his seat next to Chloe. Chloe jumped. She had been spacing out, and Alek's sudden appearance had startled her so much that she had almost fallen off of her metal stool. They were in Chem, where their teacher had declared them lab partners. Alek leaned forward on the black table in front of him, smiling at her.

Chloe raised an eyebrow, fighting the smile that always forced its way onto her face when she saw him. "My offer?"

"Yep," he said. "You told me I could come over and study whenever I want to. Well, how's tonight?"

She gave in, letting the smile take over her face. "Tonight is great," she said brightly. "Say, five?"

He nodded, typing something on his phone. "Five is great."

"Great," Chloe echoed.

Alek gave a small little half-smile. "It's a date."

For the rest of Chem, Alek regretted his word choice. _It's a date_. Why had he said that? He had probably scared her.

Alek's mind kept drifting back to his conversation with Jasmine. He didn't mean to fixate on it, but every time Chloe caught him looking at her and offered a small smile, he heard Jasmine's voice in the back of his mind. _You like her. You like her. You like her._

* * *

><p>"You've got to be kidding me," Chloe groaned, falling onto her bed with a pout. She sighed as she pushed aside some discarded clothes, hunting for her phone. It took a minute to find- there were tons of clothes piled on every available surface in her room.<p>

She finally located it under a jacket. Sighing with relief, she dialed Amy's number. Amy picked up before it could even finish the first ring.

"Amy, thank god," Chloe cried, clutching her phone.

"Chlo? What's up?"

"I need you to promise you won't laugh at me or say 'I told you so'," Chloe said.

"Of course," Amy agreed. She sounded hesitant.

Chloe took a deep breath. "I need you to help me pick something to wear," Chloe said, bracing herself.

Amy's squeal must have broken windows across the country. When she finally stopped, she told Chloe, "I'll be right over. With my wardrobe. I don't know what's up, but if you're desperate enough to ask for help, I'm guessing your mass of sweats won't cut it."

Chloe smiled in relief. "Thank you," she said.

"Not a problem," Amy said firmly. "What are besties for, right?"

Amy showed up minutes later, garment bags draped over her shoulders. "You didn't tell me what's up, so I brought clothes for all occasions." She unzipped three bags, revealing a mass of jeans in one bag and some light dresses in another. The last bag nearly gave Chloe a heart attack- it was a long gold dress, complete with a gold sequined top that faded into the soft tulle skirt. Chloe actually almost considered wearing it before realizing how utterly inappropriate that would be.

Chloe giggled. "Amy, you're crazy," she said fondly. "It's just a study night."

Amy visibly deflated. "Seriously?" she said. "A study group? You need wardrobe help for a _study group_?"

Chloe fidgeted, tugging one of her curls. "Well, it's not exactly a group," she mumbled. "It's more like, um, one person..."

"Who's coming?" Amy demanded, flicking through a fourth bag of jackets. She held up a maroon velvet blazer, then shook her head and put it back.

"Um," Chloe stalled, playing with the small jewelry box that Amy had taken from her bag. "Well, that's the thing..."

Amy whirled around, suddenly understanding. "Your British buddy is coming, isn't he!"

Chloe's face flushed. "His name is Alek," she said.

"Who cares what his name is? He's _British_," Amy said, practically swooning. She slammed her hand down on Chloe's bed. Her eyes widened and she whipped around to face Chloe, a silly smile on her pretty face. "And he's going to be in your house!"

"I know, I know," Chloe said, laughing. "Which is why I need outfit help!"

"I have just the thing," Amy said firmly. "You, go get those jeans I like. The dark ones. Skinny."

When Chloe returned with the pants, Amy stood proudly in the middle of her room. She gestured at the place she had cleared on Chloe's bed. Amy had laid out a grey cadet jacket with a gold zipper, a purple cami, and a tangle of short gold charm necklaces.

"You like?" Amy asked, smiling slightly as she flipped her hair back. She sat down on the edge of the bed, crossing her ankles delicately. Chloe nodded. "Good. That's my new Marc Jacobs jacket, so try not to mess it up?"

Chloe nodded again, thanked her friend, and went to get dressed. She emerged in the outfit, and Amy scanned her with an approving smile. "Good girl," she said. "Just take the fuzzy socks off before he gets here," she said, smiling slightly at the fluffy hot pink socks on Chloe's feet.

The doorbell rang. Amy shot up with an excited smile, but Chloe just rolled her eyes. "Chill, it's probably just the takeout I ordered," she said. Amy rolled her eyes but let Chloe lead her down stairs.

Chloe grabbed her wallet off of the table in the entry and opened the door without looking up. "Hi, so how much will it- oh." Chloe blinked. It wasn't takeout. Instead of the awkward delivery girl she was expecting, she saw a tall, thin, blonde boy. "Hi, Alek," she managed.

"Hi, Chloe," Alek said, adjusting his grip on his textbook. "Who's your friend?" he added, glancing at Amy.

"This is my best friend, Amy," Chloe said. "She-"

"-was just leaving," Amy cut in smoothly. "Chlo, I left your books in your room. On your desk. Next to your bed."

Chloe grimaced and shooed her friend out the door. "Yes, Amy, I know where my desk is," she said, knowing full well that Amy had only said that so Chloe would have to invite him up to her room.

"Cool," Amy hummed. She smiled innocently at Chloe and slipped out the door. Amy walked down the stairs with backwards, turning around and mouthing "Go for it" behind Alek's back. She added a wink for good measure, then disappeared down the street.

* * *

><p>Alek stepped inside Chloe's house, glancing around with a small smile. The house was just like he had imagined it would be- cute and colorful, with a distinctly vintage air to it. Everything looked distinctly lived in- it was the opposite of the house he was staying in. Actually, he wasn't even staying in a house. He was staying in a <em>loft<em>, which sounded so ridiculous and pretention that he could hardly stand it. He loved his Aunt Valentina and all, but come on…

Behind him, he heard Chloe cough a little. He turned around and looked at her, smiling softly. She was shuffling her feet, shifting from side to side with her eyes fixed on her fuzzy socks.

"Where's your mom?" he asked, trying hard to sound casual. It wasn't like he was trying to come onto her or something. Definitely not. Really. Not at all.

"Business trip," Chloe squeaked.

"Oh," Alek said, readjusting his grip on his book and glancing around. There was a long pause.

"Um," Chloe finally said. "I have textbooks in my room… I can go get them!"

Alek chuckled. Was she… nervous? No way. "Chloe, are we seriously studying tonight?" he asked.

"What else would be, um, doing?" She moved to sit on the couch, looking at him and kicking her feet like a little girl.

He moved closer, offering a small smile. Alek didn't know what he was doing, but he knew it made her blush and he knew that she looked cute when she blushed, so he decided to just wing it. He was only inches away now. She was staring at him.

"Well," he said slowly. "We could…" His eyes flashed around the room, and he spotted the television remote control behind her. A plan formed in his mind, and he moved even closer to her. Just when he was about a half inch away from his face, he dove left and grabbed the remote. "Watch a movie?"

Chloe was visibly flustered. "Oh!" she said, jumping up and scooting away on the couch. "Um. Yeah. Movies are nice!"

Alek nodded, moving back to his own side of the couch. "Yeah, I like movies," he agreed slyly.

_And maybe I like you too._ The thought surprised him, but he let it sink in and a slow grin spread across his face.

Tonight was going to be awesome.

**A/N: Thanks for reading! As always, I love your reviews =D Also, a quick question for you guys- what else do you want to see from ths story? I have an ending in mind, but the middle is very much open to suggestions haha. so yeah, let me know =)**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Here ya go, the second chapter of the night! =) I hope y'all enjoy it, and I hope it makes up for how impossibly long I've been gone! Love you all soo much!**

CH 6- STUDY

The way Alek had always figured it, everyone gets a miracle. It could be an exceptional talent, like singing or playing piano. It could be discovering some new and incredibly rare species. It could be inventing something. Or it could be meeting someone.

For years, Alek had firmly believed his miracle was becoming Mai. But now, he knew that was wrong. His miracle had nothing to do with reflexes and strength and night vision, and everything to do with the girl in front of him.

He regarded Chloe for a long moment, smiling softly to himself. She was sprawled out on the couch, laying on her side with her head propped up on her hand. Her other hand was playing with one of her absurdly perfect curls. Alek had never noticed girls' makeup in his life, but now he couldn't help noticing the way her grey eyeshadow accented her blue eyes, which were narrowed as she worked out a particularly difficult question. She was undeniably gorgeous, of course.

"Hey," he said suddenly. "Wanna see something my friends did back home?"

"Sure," she said. When she turned those eyes on him, he actually stopped breathing for a moment. _Damn it, Alek, you're in deep_, he thought to himself.

He moved so he was sitting next to her and warned, "It's extremely cheesy."

"I love cheesy things," Chloe laughed, sitting up.

"Well then." He settled down, then began, "When I was little, I used to go fishing." Chloe nodded. "And one time, I caught a fish that was _this big_!" With that, he extended one arm in front of them and the other behind her back.

"Really?" Chloe asked, half-smiling like she wanted to laugh but wasn't sure if she was supposed to.

Alek casually dropped his arms, letting the one behind her fall around her shoulders. "No," he laughed. She gently punched him, then burst out laughing. "I just wanted to put my arm around you."

Chloe giggled. This was nice. Cuddling with Alek was comfortable. Chloe found herself leaning into him, letting her head rest on his shoulder. "You're warm," she murmured sleepily.

"Study break?" he asked, smiling at her. She looked so happy and innocent.

"Yeah," she murmured. "Study break."

When he thought she was asleep, he started absentmindedly playing with her hair. His hand was thoroughly entangled when she let out a soft sigh. "Tell me a story," she mumbled.

He removed his hand quickly, startled. "Oh," he said. "I'm sorry. I thought you were asleep."

"It's okay," she replied. "It feels nice. You don't have to stop."

He smiled and started playing with her hair again. Damn this girl; she was too cute for words. Alek hated being at a loss for words, but also couldn't say he minded being around her. He cleared his throat. "So, a story? What kind of story?"

"A fairytale," she suggested, her voice adorably sleepy-sounding.

Alek paused, thinking of a good story. Then a smile spread across his face, and he began.

"Once upon a time, there was a group of people called the Mai. The Mai had a leader; a beautiful girl who they called the Uniter..."

**A/N: Yay! I hope y'all enjoyed it! Reviews are very much appreciated, and I promise I'll try to update more regularly! Thanks for reading =D**


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